The Mississippi River Legacy Society

Individuals and families with a love for the river and a vision to restore it to its rightful ecological health and vitality have helped to create and build Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) into the 25 years strong, nationally recognized river conservation organization that it is today. These river conservation values are steadily influencing others in our growing and diverse community that the Mississippi River is our wellspring and needs our care. Not only is the Mississippi River the source of drinking water for over 1 million residents in the Twin Cities, but Minnesota is also the headwaters state - and the Twin Cities is the first major urban region of this globally significant resource.

Consider a Gift to the River's Future

FMR donors who have the foresight to imagine an even healthier river beyond their lifetime can express this by creating a planned gift to benefit FMR. FMR can be named as a direct beneficiary of specific assets, a portion of your estate, or your residual estate after payment of other bequests. You are also enrolled as a member of the Mississippi River Legacy Society^, a growing group of donors who have established a Mississippi River legacy through a planned gift.

Benefits of creating a planned gift to benefit Friends of the Mississippi River include:

Expression of your river conservation values: You are leaving a river conservation legacy by providing financial resources to protect our most precious natural asset in the Twin Cities—the Mississippi River—and ensuring the health and beauty of the river and our state’s water and land resources for future generations.

Freedom and Flexibility: Your plan is revocable; you may change your mind and your gift plan at any time as your life circumstances evolve.

Ways of Giving

Following are various vehicles that can be used to make a planned gift to Friends of the Mississippi River. For additional guidance or to let us know of your plans, please contact Jeanine Holden, Senior Development Officer at 651-222-2193 ext 22 or jholden@fmr.org.

For your planned giving records, FMR's Tax I.D. number is 41-1763226.

Will Bequest
There are a number of ways to make a bequest in your will. The most common and most preferred bequest gift is for unrestricted support. Following is sample language that can be included in a will or estate plan.

I give to Friends of the Mississippi River, a nonprofit corporation located at 101 East Fifth Street, Ste 2000, St. Paul, MN 55101, the sum of $_____________ for general operating purposes. (Or:___________% of my estate.)

Life Insurance Policy
There are many ways that you can use your life insurance policy to benefit both you, by maximizing your federal income tax deduction, and Friends of the Mississippi River, giving us a generous gift to help people understand, restore and protect rivers and their watersheds.

Charitable Remainder Trust
A Charitable Remainder Trust is a tax-exempt trust that pays income to your designee. When the trust terminates, the remaining assets would be paid to Friends of the Mississippi River.

Retirement Plan Designation
Leave a lasting legacy by choosing Friends of the Mississippi River as a beneficiary of your retirement plan. The gift is exempt of federal estate tax and is a “tax-smart” way to maximize the impact of your gift and minimize taxes.

Retained Life Estate
You can make a gift of a personal residence to Friends of the Mississippi River while retaining the right to live in it for life. FMR has gift acceptance policies that may limit or prohibit certain gifts of real estate or property. Please contact us before choosing this planned giving option.

Charitable Lead Trust
A tax-advantaged way to pass assets along to your heirs. Fund a trust that pays income to Friends of the Mississippi River for a period of time (such as your lifetime or a number of years). Then, at the end of the term, the remainder is returned to either you or your heirs.

Moving Forward

The information presented above is not intended to be financial advice, so please consult with your financial or estate planner. FMR would be happy to work with your trusted advisors on your river legacy. To learn more about creating a lasting Mississippi River legacy by making a deferred gift to benefit FMR, please contact Jeanine Holden, Senior Development Officer, at 651-222-2193 ext 22 or jholden@fmr.org or fill out the linked form.

^Donors who become Mississippi River Legacy Society members in our 25th Anniversary year will receive a 25th Anniversary print of a hand-painted map of the Mississippi River National Park by artist Lisa Middleton.

Testimonials

Marjean Hoeft and Lisa Vecoli

"Living along the Gorge of the Mississippi, we experience and enjoy this great river every day. We've participated in FMR volunteer events, including river clean up days and the River Challenge, for many years. When it was time to revisit our estate plan, it made sense to look first at the organizations in which we had committed time and energy, and let our financial assets follow suit. With our gift, we are confident FMR will continue to do the valuable work to ensure this priceless asset will remain protected long after we're gone." - Marjean Hoeft & Lisa Vecoli

Francine Corcoran

“I established a planned a gift to support the health of the river and FMR’s future because I have spent my whole life near the Mississippi River. The river is where I swam and fished with my father; it is where I learned about birds and spring ephemerals from my mother. I now live a short walk from the river in the Longfellow neighborhood and have the pleasure of experiencing a river on a trajectory of steady revival. FMR works with a dedicated and growing group of Longfellow community stewards who are protecting the river with lively and useful activities for all ages in care of the river we love. My gift is for where I live now and for everyone downstream.” – Francine Corcoran

Anonymous

“I am single, I have no dependents, and I’m trying to get my ducks in a row, so someone isn’t trying to clean up loose ends for me.” - Anonymous